This week’s guests were Oka Midori, Okamura Takako, Kawakami Daisuke, Kawanaka Miyuki, Kumiko, Kobayashi Sachiko, Shimizu Hiromasa, BOYS AND MEN, Miyama Hiroshi, May J., MUSIC CONCERTO, and Flash Kaneko.

A new song “White Cube” from CM jingle producer Yasutaka Nakata has been revealed through a new Nissin promotional video.

Focusing on the concept of “good design” the video promotes Nissin’s Cup Noodle Chili Tomato variety and the addition of the new cube-shaped ingredient: “white mystery meat“. It follows a strong visual aesthetic of minimalism with a limited color palette of white, red and green and refers back to the cubic and porous qualities of the new meat product.

“I’m elated to be part of such a fun CF,” Nakata commented. “I think music should be exciting, so I’d like to continue making enjoyable work in the future.“

Sponichi reports Takuya Kimura, former member of the now-disbanded idol group SMAP, caused a traffic pileup in Tokyo on June 20.

The accident happened at around 4:45 PM in the city of Chofu in western Tokyo. Kimutaku, 44, was driving alone by car when he crashed into the back of a motorbike that was waiting at a traffic light at a down-sloped intersection. Three vehicles were caught in the pileup, but there were no injuries.

Electronic unit BOOM BOOM SATELLITES held its final concert at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST on June 18 following the death of vocalist and guitarist  Kawashima Michiyuki late last year.

In October 2016, Michiyuki (47) tragically passed away due to complications related to a persistent brain tumor.

In December 2012, Kawashima publicly revealed symptoms of the early stages of a brain tumor and. Activities with BOOM BOOM SATELLITES continued despite multiple relapses until June 2016 when Nakano posted on the official website and on social media that the EP for “Lay Your Hands on Me” would be the unit’s final release, as Kawashima’s tumors had relapsed for a fourth time and was partially paralyzed.

The main trailer for upcoming movie “Narratage” starring Jun Matsumoto and Kasumi Arimura has been released to Asmik Ace Entertainment’s official YouTube channel.

Based on the 2005 novel “Narratage” by Rio Shimamoto and directed by Isao Yukisada (Crying Out Love in the Center of the World, Pink & Gray), the story follows Takashi Hayama (Matsumoto), a high school teacher is reunited with his former student Izumi Kudo (Arimura), now a university student, and both fall into a deep but forbidden love.

This is Matsumoto’s first movie in 4 years after “Hidamari no Kanojo” in 2013 and the first time in the teacher role. During “Shitsuren Chocolatier”, Matsumoto and Arimura played siblings and this time they will be playing as lovers and will even be challenging an intimate bedroom scene.

The trailer credits reveal that Yojiro Noda of rock band RADWIMPS will be handling composition and lyrics of the theme song for the film. Details of the song have no yet been released.

Check out the trailer below!

It has been announced at a press conference held today at the NHK Hall in Shibuya that actress Mei Nagano has been cast in NHK’s upcoming 98th morning drama “Hanbun, Aoi”.

Mantan Web reports Nagano went through audition involving 2,366 participants and was eventually selected to play main character Suzume Nireno for the upcoming drama.

The story of “Hanbun, Aoi” follows Suzume Nireno (Nagano) who lost her hearing in one ear in elementary school. Following her graduation from high school, she attempts to follow her aspirations to become a mangka for girls’ manga and moves to Tokyo. Unsuccessful with her career path, she puts her dreams aside to get married and have a child. She later faces an unexpected turning point in her life following financial hardship and a divorce that forces her to return to her hometown in the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture with her daughter.

It’s true that there are few female directors in the Japanese film industry, but over the past decade they have begun to make their mark and carve out a space of their own, showing a sensibility and perspective of humanity that has been less represented within Japanese cinema. A change within the industry is surely happening, although slow.

In Europe, some people are familiar with the works of Naomi Kawase (Hanezu, An, Still the water) as she is a regular guest at the Cannes Film Festival. Fans of film in the US or various Asian countries outside Japan might know more about Miwa Nishikawa (Sway, Dear Doctor), Yuki Tanada (One million yen girl), or Mika Ninagawa (Sakuran, Helter Skelter), who’s arguably more famous as a photographer and music video director. But surely that can’t be all.

Born in the Mie Prefecture, 40-year-old Mipo O is a third-generation Zainichi Korean (or Japan-born Korean) film director, screenwriter, and commercial director who has often gone unnoticed by fans of film both in Japan and abroad.  Let’s change that by taking a look back at her career and a select of her body of work!

On June 28, TV Tokyo will air its annual mid-year music special, TV Tokyo Music Festival.

The second set of performers has now been announced! LDH’s acts EXILE THE SECOND, E-girls, GENERATIONS, and THE RAMPAGE will perform on the show. KAT-TUN’s Nakamaru Yuichi will sing “Otsukare Sankusu”, his solo song which serves as the theme song for his TV Tokyo drama “Massage Tantei Joe.” Tetsuya Komuro and Marc Panther will perform as globe, in collaboration with SPEED’s Shimabukuro Hiroko. See who else is on the second list of performers below!